Paper cup



5, 1940- 1 A. SCHWARZENZEVR 2,192,415

PAPER cu? Filed May 2. 1938 INVENTOR ALEXANDER SCHWARZ'ENZER ATTORNEYSPatented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

- The invention relates to paper cups such as are frequently placed inholders in nested relation to be accessible for public use. As thesecups are formed of paper they are easily collapsed and while they areusually provided with a slightly flared flange at the upper end toreenforce the same, this is insuflicient to effectively preventcollapsing. ,Heretofore, various handle constructions have been devisedfor usewith such cups but these are complex in construction and usuallynot available for public use. It is the object of the present inventionto provide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive means for holding thecups from collapsing. It is a further object to provide a constructionof reenforcement means which may be readily stacked adjacent to the cupholder so as to be available for application to the cups individually.The invention therefore consists in the construction as hereinafter setforth..

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a paper cup with my improvedreenforcement means applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a similar view of the reenforcement member;

Figure 3 is a vertical central section through the cup andreenforcement;'

Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating the reenforced cup as held by ahand.

As illustrated, A is a paper cup of usual construction preferablytapered from top to bottom.

so as to permit of nesting and also having a slightly turned flange B atits upper end. C is my improved reenforcement member which is preferablyformed as a ring of cardboard.' The internal diameter of this ring issuch as to fit the tapered cup a short distance below the upper endthereof, and the radial dimension of the cross-section of the ring issuflicient to impart thereto the required rigidity. Thus by sleeving thering upon the cup and moving it upward into firm engagement therewiththe desired reends the cross-section of enforcing effect is obtained.This effect is due to the'fact that the ring will resist expansion ofthe cup in any direction and consequently will prevent collapsing. Thisis illustrated in Figure 4 in which the dotted line D shows the 5 formthe unreenforced cup would assume if grasped between the thumb andfinger of the hand with sufficient pressure to collapse the oppositesides thereof. It will be noted that the major axis of this form isgreater than the original diameter of the cup and such expansion musttake place before the sides can be collapsed. However, the reenforcementring C has sufficient rigidity to prevent enlargement of the cup in anydirection and therefore it cannot be collapsed in a transversedirection.

Thecost of the cardboard reenforcing rings is negligible and by usingthe flat faces of the rings for advertising matter, this may partly orfully pay for the cups.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a paper cup tapering from top toward bottom, ofa'narrow cardboard ring of an internal diameter to fit said cup in aplane intermediate the lower and upper said ring being of onlysufficient radial dimension to impart rigidity thereto and to therebyhold the cup from collapsing by external grasping pressure ondiametrically opposite sides thereof.

2. The combination with a paper cup of circular cross-section andtapering from top toward bottom, of a narrow circular cardboard ringhaving an internal diameter to flt said cup in a plane intermediate thebottom and top thereof the cross-section of said ring having a radialdimension only sufiicient to impart rigidity thereto and to hold thesame in circular form thereby preventing expansion of the cup therein inany direction andconsequently preventing collapsing by external graspingpressure on the side walls thereof.

ALEXANDER. scHwARzENznR.

